St. Landry democrat., 1887-11-26

aald IN reference to the rifle clubs and / be-
lleTe you have already some ques-
Iiols relating TO that. 1 desire to Call your
ATTENTION TO that subject again and to elicit
from you the cause which led TO the Organi-
cation OF those clubs, end the object of their
FORMATION and their conduct after being
loruled' SO I;r as you have any knowledge OF
the sane.''
"A. Those clubs were organized for the
purpose OF preserving the leace of the COM
inanity, and also for the purpose Of protect
ing the coIOrei Democrats from the violence
OF thelr race who were Republicans"
Here is a description of one OF their meet
lng8 oy Governor McEnery:
MT Stnhbs made a very earnest appeal to
the colHted people TO break this color line
ana come with us ana be divided upon
soMethlnG less than Il mere color line. 30
diu captain Farmer. He also made the same
appeal accom- panied with the usual argu-
lnents that we have been making to the
coioTei men for some years past. just be-
lore the conclusion of Captain Farmers
speech. knowing the effect that music has
upon the cnlored people, | moved the band
right up to the stand. instructed Mr.. Calm
10 make an e3or0lum begging The cOlOred
people TO como ana Join Us. He is d very
earnest and very enthusiastic man. and AS
soon as Captain Farmer closed the band did
play ana Mr.. Calm did exhorr and |
never IN all my life saw such enthusiasm
among both white and colored rs | old that
day. 1t was generally compared by the
people who saw 1t to a camp meeting
lily the thalrmau-Q. The music and
the e&6prtation went together"
"A. Yes, he epohe at the same time the
pahu was playing. We appointed three men
|" take the names ana eeventy-tnree joined,
nearly all Of Ike R4ndalPs club" lThe club
or col0red voters of whom the witness had
previously ttstiiej. 1.-The enthusiasm
aniouE both races Was very extraordinary
WHITE men and colorcd men rushed together.
shook hands, embraced each other ami cried.
White and black, Old and Young. II
| We khDt The hama nt4yiTp nplft ThnC pnDli
not play any longer. The young men that
played had their lips 30 D~listered that they
conld not play for US for several meetings, as
they were not USED to It,"
Again. speaking of the organizations in
the parish, the same gentleman t~estities:
After We had got the white people thor
0nEhIy organized then we commenced or
ganlzlng the negroes in mixed clubs, mat is,
got the nrgrOes 10 Join our white clubs. We
had very frequent meetings in each ward"
In describing another meeting The witness
says:
"rnat meeting was composed of citizens OF
TWO parishes a1d was addressed by Richard
Barrlngton, rOlOred, AmerlclIs Watson. col
0red by +. i. htubps, and | think Colonel
BrIdEer OF Caldwell There was an inter
mission for dinner, and It was the first time
| think eluce the war that have seen the
white and cOlOreC all together at the same
time eating Observation-Disclosures. They
did not make any difference whatever. 1t
was for the time being altogether white and
altogether black. l went myself and stood
alongside the table by the side of a colOred
man and got my dinner. 1t seemed TO me
10 be an era OF good feeling and Ieconcllla-
ton OF the two raCes-Ot a mutual recol-
cllidtlGn from both sides"
l may rest content, my friends, with these
references. They leave no DOUBT upon the
mind, THAT the action of Governor Nichols
was In harmony with the policy laid down
by the party, and with the methods adopted
by the party.
To my mind it Is a misfortune TO have had
the race question injected into this cam
paign. 1t gears no ~1elatlon 10 it; there Is
nothing III our situation which In my judy
1uent calls 1t forth. The great problem which
has deVolved upon us to solve growing out
OF the abolition OF slavery Is III way of IL
successful solution. No good can come TO
this people By the agitation at this time OF a
question which IS dormant and mas passed
away, The amendments To the constitution
OF the Cnlted states have liked the political
Fights OF the colorcd race. We Of the south
nave acquired great power IN the national
government In consequence of the repEeseu-
tailon predIcated upon the coiore0 vote.
lie Democratic party IN all the southern
states, III all lts conventions both state and
national. has placed itself on the broad line
OF carrying out the constitution.
No good can come to this people or to this
commonwealth by. at TINS late day, ad-
vanclng Tor political purposes discussions
snd arguments which, II pushed to their
legitimate conclusion, WCul0 place lis before
The country as declaring tnat We virtually
~repuulaJe the auueDdmsnts 10 the constltu-
ton OF the United states. There is no
danger In standing upon these amendments
that the Legitimate and proper relation OF
the white race will suffer Getriment. The
laws of nature, of society anu of property
are ImniutAole. In recognizing the amend
M6uts we do not destroy the natural social
forces which at ali times Will produce their
Docmal results. MOrallty, Intelligence. edu-
cation, property are the sources OF our
civilization. God himself has 50 created us.
Fhaf GOn ~ NlnnrIi ia aCnF m Imam
results stands as clear as tine MONDAY sun
from his whole life. No good can come to us
by stirring up the race issue in Our midst
when the necessity for sucn an issue-thauks
be to GOd!-has long since passed away. The
pledges which were 70 ade in 1877 and which
our party formulated were carried out. The
development which the success has given
US has brought about n change IN the cor
dition Of society, and which change. beyond
constitutions aud laws, has placed the su-
prenacy where reason, where morality.
where property ana where intelligence have
at all times placed IL and Where it WILL re-
main forever.
Meeting our changed condition with the
wisdom and devotion which enabled him to
aid III bringing the change ABOUT, the pollcv
of Nichols as orr future executive will be
such as TO render permanent the results
which under his leadership the whole peo-
pie obtained. We may be perfectly sure that
the civilization of Louisiana Will be as safe
III the hands OF General Nichols, who mas
given his whole life up to her service, as 1t
will be IN the hands OF any living man. We
may be perfectly sure that II We call him to
our leadership as our chief executive his |
every effort Will be to protect our clviliza-
ton and by kindness, fairness and honor
press forward not only the white but all the
races of louisiana within their proper
spheres in the march OF progress aud adj
yancement.
Fellow-eitizens. Isupport General Nichols
for the next guvernOrsnip not only on &C.
~ = n Ms rCcf nnAv1 nnf aryf1n = - I
which | have referred, but because under
his administration / believe ar epoch OF
greater harmony aud concord will be in
In The ranks OF the Democratic
party atself, a party whose principles and
are indt ,pensaole to our state aud
to personal freedom. | believe that under
his administration, inspired not by political
but by the general welfare, that
shall Witness an elevated tone 10 our pub
lie affairs, the extension of our common
system, the advancement Of our pub
lie credit, tho development of our material
capital ana population attracted
to our midst, an extension Of our railroads
and the building OF our levees, SO that the
name Of Louisiana shall mean opportunity
to the young and become the wetchword for
| believe that under his admins
inspired rather by the determine
ton 60 aid every progressive movement than
to SnDserve political ambition, its power and
will be wisely and justly exercised
ana dispensed. Thinking these thlngs, I ln-
yoke your support for him.
THE WEBSTER PARISH ELECTION